Staff at a Welsh bank are fascinated by an old postcard. The card addressed to Lydia Davies fell on the carpet last week, 121 years after it was sent. The bank has appealed for the public’s help in the hope that more will be revealed about the woman and the letter’s writer, named as Ewart.

The card appeared at a bank in Swansea last Friday. A staff member was sorting mail when the postcard dropped. The front features a deer standing on a fallen tree in front of snow-capped mountain peaks. The card is a replica of the painting The challenge By Edwin Henry Landseer.

There is a note on the back. Ewart writes: “Dear L., I could not do it, and these two could not be obtained.” He continues: “I am very sorry, but I hope you are having a good time at home.” The writer also says that he is now in good shape, as he has 10 shillings in his pocket. This is worth about 11 euros today.

The card also features a postmark of King Edward VII, who was king from January 1901 to May 1910. There is also a stamp bearing “Au23 03”, which indicates the date 23 August 1903.

The bank posted the discovery on social media, hoping to get more information about the card’s author and Lydia. “We need your help! Can anyone solve this mystery?” the message read.

A follower searched the archives and discovered that Lydia Davies lived at the bank address with her parents and five brothers and sisters. She was around 16 when the card was sent. According to British media, a distant relative of Lydia’s also came forward. It is not yet clear who Ewart is and what the relationship between the two is.

The British Postal Service does not know how the postage was delayed for more than a hundred years. A spokesman said: “It is possible that the card was returned to our system.” BBC“And when there is an item in our system, we are obligated to deliver it to the correct address.”